


Female Problems

by Sanalith



Category: Hikaru no Go
Genre: Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-22
Updated: 2012-03-22
Packaged: 2017-11-02 08:22:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/366947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sanalith/pseuds/Sanalith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hikaru has to buy a birthday present for Akari. Akira helps.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Female Problems

When Akira won the first game of the evening, he was decently proud. Hikaru had made one or two mistakes that were rather unlike him, but the overall game had been solid, so Akira was satisfied with his victory. His second win had surprised and, to some degree, annoyed him. Hikaru had made even more errors, many of which would have been blindingly obvious to even a very low _insei_. He’d snapped at Hikaru to pay closer attention, that if he just wanted an easy victory he would be playing someone else, and Hikaru seemed to perk up a bit. Their banter usually served well to rejuvenate him.

  
But now, halfway through the third game, Akira was clearly trouncing his opponent yet again, and Hikaru was obviously not plotting one of the miraculous comebacks for which he was so famous. That he was distracted was obvious, but the reason behind it was not. The boys _never_ let their minds wander while they were playing each other. To do so would be suicide, as this game was showing.

  
When Hikaru made yet another careless move, Akira let out a loud, frustrated breath, and relaxed from his _seiza_ position. “All right, what’s bothering you?” he demanded, trying not to sound too cross. “This game is clearly finished, so we might as well talk.”

  
Hikaru’s ears turned pink, which only happened when he was truly embarrassed. “Sorry, Touya,” he said ruefully. “It’s not like the games weren’t exciting or anything. I just have…something bugging me, that’s all.”

  
Akira felt his lips curl into a small smile. It wasn’t all that long ago that Hikaru would have taken his head off for merely insinuating that something was wrong. He would have made up some lame excuse, swiped the board clear, and demanded a rematch. But they’d grown quite a bit closer over the past year, becoming actual friends instead of just rivals, and that seemed to have mellowed Hikaru out a little.

  
“Can I help?” Akira asked simply.

  
Hikaru rolled his eyes. “You’ll laugh at me when I tell you,” he retorted. “That’s why I haven’t said anything yet. It’s stupid, really.”

  
“Apparently I have a weakness for stupidity,” Akira deadpanned, leading Hikaru to chuck a Go stone at him.

  
“You love me and you know it, so shut up.” Sighing again, Hikaru leaned back on his palms. “It’s Akari’s 21st birthday this week, and I need to get her a present.” He made a face. “I was _going_ to buy her a really nice Go board – one with those ornate carvings on the legs and all, to replace that horrible cheap one she has – and some new Go stones to go with it. But when I saw her a few days ago, she informed me that I was under orders this year to buy her something that had nothing to do with Go.”

  
Akira blinked in surprise. It wasn’t just that the idea of “something that had nothing to do with Go” was practically alien to him, which wasn’t exactly a lie, but rather that sweet, polite, soft-spoken Fujisaki Akari would be so bold as to dictate what her present should be.

  
Or, at the very least, what it should _not_ be.

  
Hikaru snorted at Akira’s obvious disbelief, pushing himself back up. “You never listen when I tell you how bossy she is! She’s been like that since we were kids.” Raising his voice to mimic Akari’s higher pitch, he quoted, “Shindou Hikaru, you are _always_ buying me Go things! It’s like you can’t take your mind off it for just one second! Sometimes I wonder if you would still even speak to me if I didn’t play!” Hikaru jabbed his finger at Akira’s face in imitation. “This year you will get me a nice, pretty, _feminine_ gift that has _nothing_ do to with Go, and that is final!”

  
Akira’s eyes were as wide as saucers when Hikaru finished his tirade. He had no cause to doubt his rival, but still…

  
“Women,” Hikaru muttered, throwing himself back on the floor. “So _now_ I have to find some kind of cute, girly present to give her, and I have absolutely no idea what to do.”

  
“Well, you were friends with her long before you started playing Go,” Akira pointed out reasonably. “What kinds of things did you used to give her?”

  
“Damned if I know,” Hikaru retorted irritably. “My mom always bought the gifts, and even wrapped them. I just gave them to Akari. I never paid much attention to what they were.”

  
Akira sighed. That answer was _so_ Hikaru it wasn’t even funny. “Then why don’t you ask your mother for ideas?”

  
“No. Way.” Hikaru punctuated the words with a vicious shake of his head. “My mother still has it in her head that Akari and I are a Perfect Match, and…well…” His eyes softened ever so slightly as he looked up at his rival. “I may not see my mom all that much anymore, but I still don’t want to give her any false hopes, you know?”

  
Akira felt his stomach tighten at Hikaru’s words, which seemed to be an automatic response whenever _that_ aspect of their relationship was mentioned. Everything was still so new. Their first, horribly awkward kiss had only taken place a little over a month ago, and thus far they’d told no one. But Hikaru was right. His mother would be sure to interpret his request for help as a sign of interest, possibly even affection, and that would make telling her the truth even more difficult in the end.

  
“I’ll tell you what,” Akira said resignedly. “I’ll take you shopping tomorrow and help you pick out a gift…” and here his lips curled into a smile, “…as long as you promise to give me a _real_ game after we’re done.”

  
Hikaru looked at him suspiciously. “And what makes _you_ such an expert on girly presents?”

  
“Let’s just say I was invited to my share of birthday parties when I was growing up, too,” Akira replied dryly, “and _my_ mother never did any of _my_ shopping.”

  
Hikaru never thought he’d feel quite as sorry for his rival as he did at that moment.

  
*******

  
In truth, Hikaru was rather skeptical of the gift Akira had finally chosen. He thought the scent of the perfume – Gardenia, it was called –was incredibly cloying and heavy, and he firmly believed that such a tiny bottle should have cost infinitely less than it did. Still, Akari’s delighted smile and huge hug of thanks proved Touya Akira was not only a master on the Go board, but also resident Guru of Feminine Knowledge.

  
Well, after all, the boy _did_ wear pink, so perhaps it wasn’t all that surprising…

  
“I _knew_ you could find something nice if you just put your mind to it!” Akari exclaimed happily, sniffing the bottle yet again. “Did you know Gardenia was my favorite, or was it just a lucky guess?”

  
Hikaru smiled sheepishly. “Definitely a guess, but I’m glad you like it.” Inwardly, Hikaru swore to give Akira the game of his life that night in thanks.

  
Standing on her tiptoes, Akari brushed a light kiss across his cheek in thanks. “You’re really growing up, Hikaru,” she said with a grin. “I’m glad we’re still friends.”

  
“Yeah. I’m glad we are, too.” Hikaru returned her smile, and for one brief moment, wondered what might have happened between them if things had been different. If there had been no Sai, no Akira, no Go…what would they have become?

  
How many people did he disappoint in order to pursue his dreams?

  
“It’s all right, you know.”

  
Akari’s quiet voice sliced into his thoughts, and Hikaru looked down at her. “Huh?”

  
She smiled gently. “It’s all right. I know Go comes first. I know _he_ comes first. I just want to keep you around…as a friend…for as long as I can.”

  
Hikaru smiled back down at her, and he felt a weight he’d never even known was on his shoulders suddenly slip off. She understood. She was content. That was…good.

  
And right then and there, Hikaru silently vowed to buy her every single Gardenia beauty product known to man for the rest of their lives.

  
After all, just because _he_ didn’t like the scent didn’t mean that some other guy wouldn’t, someday. And Akari deserved the best.

  
But he’d still get her the Go board, too.


End file.
